Lost at Sea book 1 Where There s a Will chapter 2
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December 6, 1991, Milford, Ohio
“Isn’t that just a bit over the top?” I chuckled.
“Too suggestive?” she smirked.
“Cherry ice cream, with cherry syrup, and three cherries? No, not at all! Though I think that might cause a diabetic shock if I ate it!”
“I’m not that sweet!” she giggled.
“No, you certainly aren’t!” I said, deadpan.
“Jerk!” she laughed. “I was never anything but sweet to you. Well, except when you didn’t deserve it!”
“I think you might be engaging in some selective memory, there, Sweetheart. That last summer together wasn’t what I would call sweet.”
She sighed, “No, it wasn’t, but I was really thinking about High School. Do you ever wish you were fifteen again? Or thirteen? Or whatever?”
“Not really. You know my take on that.”
“I do. But some days I wish I’d accepted your offer that day in the apartment. Things would have been very different.”
“Yes, they would have. And who’s to say they would have been better? Maybe in that alternate timeline the helicopter is five minutes slower getting to you. Or Al Barton is five minutes further away from the hospital. Or he’s not even on call.”
“I know, but still.”
“Bethany, would you give up Nicholas to go back?”
“No!”
“Nicholas is half Bethany Krajick and half Nick Evans.”
“You are so damned logical at times! You’re worse than Commander Data!”
I chuckled, “I didn’t tell you what Abbie said.”
“Which was?”
“She compared me to Data and said that I should turn off my ‘emotion chip’ and fuck you so hard that you were unable to walk, talk, or even see straight the next morning.”
“Sold! Let’s skip the movie!”
“Look ... will you be honest with me, and answer me truthfully?”
“Sure.”
“Could you really do that? Do you think I could really do that? Isn’t our relationship far more complex? Your son told me that you love me. And I told him I love you. Can we really turn that off for one night of passion?”
“I’m willing to try!” she giggled.
“Bethany...” I sighed.
“It’s a difficult question to answer.”
We were both quiet for a bit, and ate our ice cream.
“I didn’t tell you before,” I said, “but in Chicago, when we were having the ‘guys only’ sauna, Nicholas asked if you and I were trying to make a baby.”
“What?!”
“He’s not dumb, Sweetheart. First of all, remember who his best friend is.”
“Jesse.”
“Exactly. And you know Jesse’s mind on that topic. But I want to point out that despite her mom’s best efforts to hide it, Francesca knew that Carol was sleeping with Stan! She said they were trying to make a baby and she was about the same age as Nicholas is now. And we don’t hide the fact that we sleep in the same bed.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That we just cuddled and that we weren’t trying to make a baby. Fortunately, Mr. Big Mouth didn’t make some comment about my vasectomy and not being able to make a baby! But what I told Nicholas led to the talk about why we weren’t having sex.”
“With a two-year-old?”
“And Jesse and Matthew. Albert and Michael were kind of oblivious, though they were there. But the girls have talked to Jesse about good touching and bad touching, and about not doing things with someone unless you want to and they want to. I told Nicholas we weren’t trying to make a baby because we didn’t want to. Because we love each other.”
“This is surreal even given how long I’ve known you! You’re discussing our sex life, or lack of one, with my two-year-old son and your not-quite-six-year-old and four-year-old sons.”
“I find the alternative to be foolish in the extreme. Trying to hide things which are obvious only creates future problems. As I said, Francesca figured out her mom was having sex with Stan despite Carol’s attempts to hide it. Which is healthier, Doctor Krajick?”
“OK, but still!” she laughed. “You have to admit it’s strange.”
“I suppose it is. We need to finish our ice cream so we can get to the movie.”
“Drat! I thought you’d take Abbie’s advice! And I heard Jessica tell you that your test was azoospermic.”
“Yes, she did. But what happens in the morning?” I asked.
“Well, if you take Abbie’s advice, I won’t be able get out of bed, talk to you, or even see you!” she giggled.
“Yes, but after that? Next week? Next month? Next year?”
“I can’t predict the future and neither can you,” she said. “So when you finish your ice cream, you are taking me home and fucking me unconscious. Period. No arguments.”
December 7, 1991, Milford, Ohio
Bethany sighed deeply when we disentangled on Saturday morning. I knew the feeling, as I’d very much enjoyed the warmth of her naked body next to mine. I climbed out of bed, put on my robe, and went to take a shower. Ten minutes later, I was back, fully dressed, and Bethany hadn’t even moved.
“Sweetheart, your mom says breakfast in ten minutes,” I said.
“Ugh,” she groaned.
“Time to get up!”
“But it’s so warm in bed. Well, not as warm as when you were next to me.”
“Come on, get up!”
“Fine,” she sighed, slowly climbing out of bed. “You were right, by the way.”
“I usually am!” I chuckled.
“That doesn’t make me any less frustrated right now, but the closeness was very important to me.”
“I took a BIG risk, Sweetheart.”
“I’m a good negotiator!”
“But?”
“But I STILL want you to fuck me silly!” Bethany said fiercely. “As much as I enjoyed sleeping naked in your arms, your steadfast refusal to even kiss me in a sexy way PISSED ME OFF!”
That last bit was said with mock anger, and she started laughing.
“You agreed with me, in the end,” I said.
“I know,” she sighed. “And I’ll come up to Chicago for New Year’s and talk with Kara and Jessica as we agreed. It does make sense.”
“If we’re going to do this, and there is no guarantee we will, we have to ALL agree on what the rules are.”
“You still don’t think we should?”
“I don’t. But...” I sighed, “you’re my Sweetheart.”
“Which is both the problem and the solution, isn’t it?”
“Very good, Doctor Krajick. It’s the very reason I want to, and the very reason I can’t. But you need to get a shower so we can have breakfast and I can go get beat up by Doctor Mercer for an hour or so.”
“Beat up?”
“Not intentionally, and honestly, I’m the one beating up myself because of what happened between Stephanie and me.”
“Ed says they only come over for Sunday dinner. Well, I guess he comes to breakfast and Guys’ Night, and she goes to Girls’ Night Out.”
“Yes. That’s Doctor Mercer’s prescription. And I don’t talk to my sister one-on-one at all.”
“Given the last private thing she said to you, I don’t see how you could have done anything differently. Your wives were exactly right. Well, and so were you, to tell them and Doctor Mercer immediately,” she said. “But tell me, how is Jess doing?”
“Surprisingly well. That night in the hotel with the three of us let us have a really good talk. We worked through some things, and then we saw Doctor Green, which always helps. She did start reading about the summer after High School, though, so I expect some rough patches in the next week.”
“The situation with you, Jennifer and Stephanie?”
“Yeah. And lucky me, I get to tell Doctor Mercer about that today.”
“No WONDER you aren’t happy about going there this morning.”
“Tell me about it,” I sighed.
An hour later, I was sitting on Doctor Mercer’s couch, relaying the story. I’d tried to skip it, but as Doctor Mercer probed for the extent of our sexual activity, as well as the times we’d tried to end it, I didn’t have much choice but to reveal that it had happened.
“I suppose at this point, I should cease being shocked,” Doctor Mercer said. “Do you know if that was her only true same-sex encounter?”
“The other ones I know of were like the one I told you about with the two girls. To my knowledge, the only girl my sister ever really made love with was Jennifer. They did so again, when Jennifer came to visit me in Chicago after Kara and I broke up.”
“Were you with them?”
“No. Jennifer and I agreed we wouldn’t sleep together because it could interfere with fixing our relationship.”
Doctor Mercer shook her head, “You and Jennifer often used abstinence to make sure you were thinking clearly. And it seems to have worked. But you never used it with anyone else.”
“Not really. Sure, there were periods of decreased activity, or the ‘sexual fast’ for the month before my wedding, but no, only Jennifer and I used it that way.”
“And I believe you are of the opinion that had she not been averse to penetration, you would have married her, and someone like Josie or Kara would have been the third person in the relationship.”
“I suppose so, yes. But who knows?”
“And you and Jennifer have a very close relationship now, and sex doesn’t, well, interfere, in it. Similar to those periods.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
Though there was speculation that Jennifer wanted to end the abstinence. But I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to get into THAT discussion with Doctor Mercer.
“How do you feel about that threesome?”
“Now? I believe it was a huge mistake. But then? It was supposed to be the end of my sexual relationship with my sister. But it didn’t turn out that way. As I’ve said, it was one of the many times we tried to break it off. Mostly at my urging. But I always let her have me when she really wanted me. I was pretty weak.”
“Once you taste the forbidden fruit, and like it, it’s hard to give it up. It was Jessica that finally forced the issue, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, but whomever I had married, it would have ended. It had to at that point. And the last time? It felt weird.”
“Your sense of the problem was developing, I suspect.”
“Yes. I mean, I knew, intellectually, it was wrong from the start. But sometime in ‘84 or ‘85, I began having very serious second thoughts. There were strong pushes from Karin and Anala that really jarred my thinking and pushed me to reconsider what I’d done.”
“I’m going to ask you the questions I’ve asked you every time. Remember, you must be completely forthright with me.”
I nodded, “Yes, of course.”
“Do you have any sexual feelings towards your sister? Any urge to be with her?”
“No.”
“If you were guaranteed to be able to get away with it, with nobody ever finding out, would you do what she asked that day through the car window?”
“No.”
“And the last one, and I understand how it upsets you, but it’s vital. Do you have any sexual urges or feelings towards any of your children, or any sexual thoughts about them?”
“No!” I said firmly.
I’d exploded at her when she’d first asked that last question, but she’d gently explained that someone in my situation, an older male sibling who had had sex with a younger sibling, was much more likely to abuse his own children. It had taken her ten minutes to get me to even speak coherently to her the first time she’d asked it, but eventually, I understood why she had to ask the question.
“Good. Now, back to the matter at hand...”
At the end of the hour, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted, which was par for both the telephone and face-to-face sessions.
“How is she doing?” I asked.
Doctor Mercer pursed her lips, “She’s still talking to me. That’s the best I can say at the moment. And I suppose that’s the best I can hope for. She’s very upset with you for, as she put it, ‘betraying the beautiful relationship and making it something dirty’.”
“Which is not at all my opinion,” I said.
“No, it’s not. But as we discussed, she has to believe it is. If she felt you still believed what you do about it, there would be no hope of getting her past this. She’d never, ever give up her quest to have you to herself, have your babies, and, as she thinks, live happily ever after.”
“I never asked, because I was afraid to before, but what’s YOUR opinion of how I feel?”
“I think, advisedly, that you are able to view what happened with two lenses. One of those lenses is the seventeen-year-old boy who loved his sister so dearly that they could engage in a highly erotic, mutually satisfactory sexual relationship, and understand what it was and what its character was. The other lens is the critical one, the one of the adult who realizes just how heinous what he did was, and who regrets having done it. And would undo it if he could.
“What’s interesting, and one of the reasons I find counseling you both challenging and fulfilling, is that you are, generally speaking, mentally healthy, despite having more than a few internal dichotomies. The two positions I mentioned are diametrically opposed to each other, and in conflict with each other, but you can express both of them in a coherent manner. But not only that, you embrace both of them as true. And yet, you aren’t clinically insane. You are, as my father would say, an odd duck, Steve.
“We’ve discussed your views on abortion when you talked to me about Bethany originally, and then after your girlfriend had the abortion. It’s the same kind of thing. You hold extreme views on the topic. So extreme, in fact, that you are to the right of most who oppose abortion. And yet, you insist that it has to be legal, safe, and a woman’s choice. That makes NO sense to the vast majority of people, and in fact, would put you firmly on the left side of the pro-choice crowd, because you don’t think anyone should interfere in a woman’s choice for any reason. And yet, as I said, you are stridently anti-abortion.”
“And I’m stridently anti-war but pro-military. And a whole bunch of other things that most people don’t think make sense. But they all come down to the same thing - I want to make my own decisions and be left alone, and as such I have to leave everyone else alone as well. I think working through all of these philosophical questions, along with all the counseling I’ve had, has let me view my own actions through a very critical, often jaundiced, eye. So yes, I do believe exactly what you said.”
“I’m curious, and I suspect I know the answer, but what’s your opinion on homosexuality?”
“I fully support equal rights. I think Jennifer and Josie SHOULD be allowed to have a marriage license and all the state benefits that come with it. That said, I’d prefer there be NO state involvement of any kind, and no benefits to gain. It’s better to simply use contract law and let people make whatever arrangements they deem best for themselves.”
“One question, and I don’t think I’ve ever asked it, and I certainly didn’t make a note of it. Have you ever had a same-sex encounter?”
I chuckled, “No. I haven’t even been in a threesome where there was another guy. Not my thing. At all. If the Kinsey scale went negative, I’d be to the left of whatever the lowest heterosexual number is!”
“But homosexuality doesn’t offend you.”
“Why should it? What people do is their own business. Nobody is forcing me to do it. Hell, nobody’s even ASKED me to do it! And I think you can imagine why!”
“What about the threesome? Surely some young woman has asked about that.”
“Indeed. And I turn them down. One was quite insistent about it, and tried to encourage me to experiment, but I have zero interest. No, I have less than zero interest.”
Will’s head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. He was cold. He was naked. He was stiff and sore.He was in a bathtub.Uncoiling himself was a process. He caught a whiff of himself and recoiled. What had happened?“Oh. Right,” he croaked as memories came flooding back to him. He reached over and started working the pump. In sputtering bursts seawater came flowing into the tub. It was comfortably warm. Probably daytime. The ocean was usually warm by noon this time of year. The charm hanging...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill’s head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. He was cold. He was naked. He was stiff and sore. He was in a bathtub. Uncoiling himself was a process. He caught a whiff of himself and recoiled. What had happened? “Oh. Right,” he croaked as memories came flooding back to him. He reached over and started working the pump. In sputtering bursts seawater came flowing into the tub. It was comfortably warm. Probably daytime. The ocean was usually warm by noon this time of year. The charm...
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The sky was a flat, grey plane of clouds, slowly roiling. The air was warm and charged. The winds were gentle. An electrical storm was brewing.Will stared at Jack for a long time. “Do you ever think about what you’re about to say before it comes out of your mouth?”“Come on, Will! You never used to care about the words. You could see right past them and knew exactly what I meant. Try that now,” Jack demanded. She was barreling straight on, trying to get Will to catch up.Will wasn’t having it....
Fantasy & Sci-FiJanie’s breath caught in her throat. Will slowly sat down at the table and held his hands up. “There’s no need for that. Let go of the lady and we’ll talk.”“We ain’t here to talk,” the brute with the pistol said. Another man walked through the door and closed it. He was short and unfortunate looking with no chin and an overly large hawkish nose. His choice to keep bushy sideburns but shave the rest only served to draw more attention to his worst features.“Timmons?” Will said, confused at the...
Fantasy & Sci-FiJanie’s breath caught in her throat. Will slowly sat down at the table and held his hands up. “There’s no need for that. Let go of the lady and we’ll talk.”“We ain’t here to talk,” the brute with the pistol said. Another man walked through the door and closed it. He was short and unfortunate looking with no chin and an overly large hawkish nose. His choice to keep bushy sideburns but shave the rest only served to draw more attention to his worst features.“Timmons?” Will said, confused at the...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThe sky was a flat, grey plane of clouds, slowly roiling. The air was warm and charged. The winds were gentle. An electrical storm was brewing. Will stared at Jack for a long time. “Do you ever think about what you’re about to say before it comes out of your mouth?” “Come on, Will! You never used to care about the words. You could see right past them and knew exactly what I meant. Try that now,” Jack demanded. She was barreling straight on, trying to get Will to catch up. Will wasn’t having...
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“Fuck,” Will swore. Will tried to turn, but his foot slipped on something. His bourbon from earlier. He ended up catching himself on the bar, but he was off balance. Inside him, he felt something seem to slide.Caine stood up.The whole room went quiet. To Will, everything seemed like slow motion. He knew this feeling. It felt like the world was sliding sideways, and he was a bystander in his own body. He tried to say something, but it was like he was moving through molasses. He only had time to...
Fantasy & Sci-Fi“Fuck,” Will swore. Will tried to turn, but his foot slipped on something. His bourbon from earlier. He ended up catching himself on the bar, but he was off balance. Inside him, he felt something seem to slide.Caine stood up.The whole room went quiet. To Will, everything seemed like slow motion. He knew this feeling. It felt like the world was sliding sideways, and he was a bystander in his own body. He tried to say something, but it was like he was moving through molasses. He only had time to...
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Fantasy & Sci-FiWill got out of the tub after a quick rinse. He was impressed at how warm the water had stayed. “Jus’ pull the drain stopper,” Belita said. She was in the process of being dried off by her dutiful cabin girl. She had her foot up on a stool and Bella was finishing dragging a soft cloth along her thigh and calf. “Do I get that sort of treatment?” Will asked. “You’re not captain,” Cabin Girl Bella said, smugly. He looked around for his own towel. The one Bella had been using hit him in the...
June 23, 1994, Oguni, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan My first week in Japan flew by, and a routine developed. Sakurako would wake me; I’d exercise and run, then shower and have breakfast, and share tea with Sakurako. After breakfast, I’d meditate, and then have my training session. After lunch, I’d work in the garden, or, as I had this day, wash the floors in the house. Hiroshi would accompany me back to the cottage and we’d talk while I washed up and dressed for dinner. After dinner, I’d spend...
Will was surprised. He’d heard Bella talk about how bad hexes were before. “I thought you didn’t hex people.”“I don’t, usually. It’s one of those things the Magistrate really frowns on, but against pirates trying to kill us I’m willing to bend the rules,” Bella smiled. She finished crawling around and drawing the second circle as Will tied the mirror to the mast. Inside the mirror Will heard Tonya arrive. “Sorry it took me so long, I really needed to get cleaned up. What’s going on?” Bella’s...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill was surprised. He’d heard Bella talk about how bad hexes were before. “I thought you didn’t hex people.” “I don’t, usually. It’s one of those things the Magistrate really frowns on, but against pirates trying to kill us I’m willing to bend the rules,” Bella smiled. She finished crawling around and drawing the second circle as Will tied the mirror to the mast. Inside the mirror Will heard Tonya arrive. “Sorry it took me so long, I really needed to get cleaned up. What’s going on?”...
June 15, 1994, Chicago, Illinois “That’s everything, I think,” I said. “My luggage is in the trunk of the car, I have my passport, tickets, and money, both dollars and yen. I can’t think of anything else.” “I’ll see you in five weeks,” Elyse said, giving me a quick hug. “Did you see they rioted in Vancouver last night because they lost the Stanley Cup?” I chuckled, “Only Canadians would riot when they LOSE the Cup! I did see that on the front page of the Trib. Are we ready?” “Michelle and...
"Stan, Laura," Someone screamed running quickly to where the Anderson family had just stepped out of the TXLT2 tour mobile for their final goodbyes. The entire party turned as a red-haired bombshell reached the party and getting to Laura squeezed her in a bear hug and kissed her on the cheek repeatedly. "Hi Josie," Laura said when the vice grip she was in was finally loosened. "How are you?" "Fantastic love, I'd love to show you just how fantastic, we're going to be delayed around...
They got out of bed and Janie tentatively approached the ladder. She looked over to Bella who shoo’d her forward encouragingly. Janie began to climb. She could faintly hear the rhythmic slapping of skin on skin and a woman’s deep, throaty moans. She climbed a little faster.As her head crested the trapdoor in the early dawn light she saw Belita Vex still wearing one of Will’s large shirts and nothing else, holding onto the brass railing, looking over her shoulder with an expression of excited...
Fantasy & Sci-FiThey got out of bed and Janie tentatively approached the ladder. She looked over to Bella who shoo’d her forward encouragingly. Janie began to climb. She could faintly hear the rhythmic slapping of skin on skin and a woman’s deep, throaty moans. She climbed a little faster.As her head crested the trapdoor in the early dawn light she saw Belita Vex still wearing one of Will’s large shirts and nothing else, holding onto the brass railing, looking over her shoulder with an expression of excited...
Fantasy & Sci-FiAugust 1981, Chicago, Illinois On Sunday morning, I made my usual call to Karin. I described everything in the apartment and all the things I’d done during the week, including the reception. Both of us would start school in a week and we were both looking forward to it. When we finished talking, I went out for my run, showered, and ate breakfast. I made some tea, started a load of laundry, and then turned on the stereo. I put on an REO Speedwagon album and then relaxed on the couch with the...
Captain Vex’s hands knotted in the witch’s dark curls. Bella was a profoundly skilled lover. The Captain had a taste of what Bella could do on top of the lighthouse, but being the sole focus of-of a sex witch’s ministrations when there were no other distractions (and Bella was feeling particularly thankful) was to be given the best possible seat in a masterclass in how to pleasure a woman.Belita had already been turned on fiercely by helping Bella with her recharge ritual. The witch was so...
Fantasy & Sci-FiAugust 21, 1989, Chicago, Illinois “Unbelievable,” I said when I read the headline from the Chicago Tribune. “It says here that Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki was nominated to be Prime Minister of Poland.” I hadn’t had a chance to read the paper on Sunday because it hadn’t been delivered before we left for the race track in Michigan. “So now what?” Kara asked. “We’re in totally uncharted territory. Your guess is as good as anyone’s right about now.” “Steve, do you have a minute?”...
July, 1983, Chicago, Illinois I woke up early on the First of July, because my body clock was still set to Swedish time. The flight back had been long but uneventful, and I was happy that the businessman in the seat next to me hadn’t wanted to talk. I read, wrote some longhand journal entries, ate, and generally relaxed while the plane zipped over the Atlantic. I’d come home, taken a sauna, eaten a light meal, and gone straight to bed, not bothering to check messages, look at the mail that...
June 1977 When I got home, I grabbed a Coke and some chips and went right to my room. I didn’t think I could deal with my parents or Jeff or Stephanie. I just needed to be by myself. That wouldn’t seem odd to anyone, because I often went to my room to read. In addition, I now had the TV I’d received for my birthday. I flipped it on to WXIX Channel 19 and reruns of Gilligan’s Island and Green Acres played in the background while I read. I had to get my mind clear for the final exams that...
“You should have come straight to me,” Lord Morant said with an authoritarian stare.They were standing on the deck of the fishing boat as it pulled away from the docks. Morant, Lynch and Jack had joined them without a word as they boarded the ship. Will had started to speak, but Morant had cut him off.“Why would I do that?” Will snarled back, still fuming.“Nae, Will. He’s right,” Captain Vex said. She wore her hat and coat, but her other clothes had still been wet and were packed away, so she...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill had his feet up on his desk and was enjoying some long awaited silence. It felt a bit strange to be alone. Only a few days ago he would have been used to it. Janie had always left in the evenings. He rarely had visitors. The lighthouse was built in an area of the town which did not have a lot of nighttime activity.All the chaos and excitement that had happened the last few days was what his life had once been like all the time. Now that he had it again it made him realized how much he’d...
Fantasy & Sci-FiWill had his feet up on his desk and was enjoying some long awaited silence. It felt a bit strange to be alone. Only a few days ago he would have been used to it. Janie had always left in the evenings. He rarely had visitors. The lighthouse was built in an area of the town which did not have a lot of nighttime activity.All the chaos and excitement that had happened the last few days was what his life had once been like all the time. Now that he had it again it made him realized how much he’d...
Fantasy & Sci-FiJuly, 1982, Milford, Ohio I woke up early on Friday morning to make breakfast for Kara and her mom before she went to work. Mrs. Blanchard was surprised, but very pleased. After her mom left for work, Kara gave me a fierce kiss. “Thanks for staying in and cooking breakfast for us,” Kara said. “I hope that doesn’t cause you trouble with Stephanie, with you breaking your normal routine.” “Don’t worry about it,” I said, kissing her back. “We got in a bit later than I expected, and she’ll...
July, 1983, Chicago, Illinois After Rosie left, I stripped the sheets from my bed, as well as the cover of the duvet, and tossed everything into the washing machine. I lit a lavender candle in the room, and then swept and dusted. I did a quick spot-check of the rest of the house and noticed that the tub in the sauna needed to be cleaned. I scrubbed it, then mopped the sauna floor with a damp sponge mop. I finished cleaning the sauna about the time the washing machine finished, so I moved...
May 26, 1991, Iron Mountain, Michigan “Shall we see if we can find a farm?” I asked at breakfast on Sunday morning. “That sounds like a great idea,” Jessica said. “There’s a visitor’s bureau in town,” Kara said. “I saw it when we were here the first time.” “I’m sorry I ruined that vacation,” Jessica said. “Ruined?” I protested. “Are you kidding? Getting you back was way more important than a few days of vacation!” “I agree,” Kara added. “Jess, you know exactly how bad off Steve was...
August, 1984, Chicago, Illinois The rest of the week proceeded as expected - class on Wednesday, as well as the usual visit from Penny, work on Thursday, and class on Friday. Kara and I had lunch together at IIT, Sofia practiced her driving and parking, and I hung out with Mark Agnini after class for beers. Staci and I got into a couple of interesting debates about the Old Testament that Mark had to break up to allow others in the class to participate. She was very much of the ‘directly...
March 25, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “What time do I need to have you home?” “8:00pm will be fine,” Misty replied. “My parents are in Normal visiting my brother at Illinois State. They aren’t supposed to be home before 10:00pm.” Misty and I were in my car on the way to the NIKA apartment which, fortunately, was not being used. With our expansion, it was in more or less regular use, and that meant I didn’t have access to it as often as I would have liked. I was glad there had been a delay in...
Pappy and BB drove back to the ranch after the family dinner because ranch work needs constant attention. Martha, Seth, and Sean, followed the next morning. Martha asked Seth to remind her to note the date and time in the family bible; September 25, 1975. She viewed the arrival of Sean as the beginning of momentous changes for the Gordian Ranch, and their lives. Those changes began when Seth's Ford Bronco slowly rumbled across the steel cattle guard that protected the gate from cows...
January 17, 1989, Chicago, Illinois “What time do you have to leave this morning?” Kara asked as we showered together on Tuesday morning. “About 8:30am,” I said. “I’m driving over to get Jeri, then heading to O’Hare. We have an 11:00am flight. Assuming all goes well, we’ll be in the office by 3:00pm Pacific time. We’ll spend a couple hours going over the software then go to dinner. The demo is tomorrow. Our flight back on Thursday leaves LA at 11:00am, so we’ll be home by 8:00pm, I...
June 1977 Friday ended up being a non-event. The more I thought about it, the more I was sure that there was no way on this earth I could say what happened between Birgit and me was a sin. Calling it a sin would debase it into a meaningless act. I could never do that. And the more I thought about Jennie McGrath, the more sure I was that I couldn’t call what she did for me a sin, either. If the church was right, I was going to hell. And frankly, there was no way that could be true. So I...
July 22, 2000, Chicago, Illinois “Albert, do you have everything packed?” Mom asked. “Yes, Mom!” I replied, rolling my eyes because she’d asked before I went to bed. “He’ll be fine, Babe,” Dad said. “Let’s walk to the hospital.” I usually didn’t get up early, but Dad had suggested it would help Mom if I walked to the hospital with her because I was leaving to see Jane for three weeks. Mom, Dad, Aunt Kara and I left the house and headed down the sidewalk towards the hospital where Mom and...
The next few months the family was involved with intense training. Udit built on the two beginning exercises with additional exercises for focus, detail and comprehension enhancement. Udit also asked them to start meditating twice daily, and then he had to teach them how to meditate. Pete shook his head and said, "Udit, I can't sit with my legs all crossed and feet over my knees like the mediators do. I just don't bend that way." "You don't have to be in those positions to meditate,"...
May 14, 1997, Chicago, Illinois “Start talking!” Melanie demanded when I sat down in her office about an hour later. “There isn’t much to say. Katya found the information for me when I asked her to look into several things about Brandon Littleton, Kevin Lomax, and John Milton.” “Do you know more about him?” “A LOT more. I don’t think you want to know.” “Probably not, but I’m your criminal defense attorney, and even though San Antonio doesn’t have you involved in this, you know the CPD...
“So, how should we do these Stone’s songs?” Phil asked at our rehearsal session. “I think we all know the music, we just need to come up with a pretty awesome arrangement; we don’t want to sound like yet another cheap cover band.” “I had some ideas, if it’s okay for me to make some suggestions,” Allison said. “Of course it is,” Phil said. “Everyone can have a say, there’s no rule that says you can’t participate in the discussion.” “Thanks, Phil, I guess being the newest here, I’m a bit...
May 11, 1992, Chicago, Illinois Monday was turning out to be a LONG day. After my run and talk with Gina, and my talk with Elyse, I had a full day at the office scheduled. First was our leadership meeting in the morning, and then I had status meetings with each team. At lunch I’d gone to see Siobhán and explained that I was going to break off the sexual relationship, but that I wanted to remain friends. She was disappointed, but admitted that Thursday would have been the last time, since she...
January 19, 1989, En-Route from LAX to ORD When the engines of the plane started, Jeri reached over and took my hand. She held it while we pushed away from the gate, and taxied for takeoff. Her grip tightened a bit as we hurtled down the runway, but nothing like the death grip she’d had on my arm for the flight out. The plane roared its way into the air and once we leveled out, Jeri’s grip loosened but she didn’t let go of my hand. “How are you doing?” I asked with a touch of...
The skipper of my boat was a man of few words it seemed for he maintained a taciturn silence as we sailed away from the island. I didn’t mind the lack of communication. I huddled miserably in the stern of the fishing boat, lost in my own thoughts and hardly in a mood to talk. My tear blurred eyes were fixed upon the dwindling view of the island as we left it far astern. Soon it was nothing but a pinprick on the horizon and shortly afterwards I lost it in the afternoon haze. It felt as if...
One day (I suppose it must have been after I’d spent about two months on the island) I was down along the shoreline collecting driftwood. On these occasions I always kept my eye open for anything else that might be of any use and this day I had a real find. Washed up against some rocks a few yards off the beach was a large plastic garbage bin. An old discarded garbage bin might not seem anything to get excited about but it was as good as treasure from King Solomon’s mines as far as I was...
September 1982, Chicago, Illinois The weekend was quiet and besides homework, I worked on the program changes for Frank, called Karin, Tatyana, and Kara, and hung out with my usual study group. Monday was refreshingly normal. On Tuesday morning, I handed Katy my completed intake form. She put it in an envelope and stuck it in her bag. She said she’d let me know soon about the interview. On Tuesday afternoon, after having lunch with Stephie, I made my rounds and then I headed over to Sigma...
October 1982, Chicago, Illinois The drive back to Chicago was as uneventful as usual, and I arrived at the apartment just before 6:00pm. When I arrived, Elyse and Stephie were sitting on the couch and Jackie was sitting on the loveseat. Stephie hopped up as I opened the door and greeted me with a hug and a kiss. “Hi, Peaches!” I said. “Glad you’re home, Yankee!” “Hi, Steve,” Elyse and Jackie both said. “Hey,” I replied. “How was the weekend?” “Well, it was just Kurt with me, Stephie,...
June 11, 1989, Chicago, Illinois It was just after 3:00am when I kissed Trish goodbye. She’d been an enthusiastic, energetic, and adventurous lover. We’d done just about anything either of us could think of, though her breasts weren’t large enough for a tit-fuck. The last time had been in the shower where we’d ostensibly gone to clean up afterwards, but instead I ended up taking her from behind as she leaned against the wall of the shower. “I think I’ll have you again, Steve Adams,” she...
May 1978 The first couple of weeks in May were busy with school, work, and friends. Except for Becky, I didn’t even have any dates. But I was OK with that. Well, almost OK. I wanted to see Anna, but it likely wasn’t going to happen until school was out. I had tutoring sessions with Melanie, but she still wouldn’t talk to me about anything other than Spanish. Barely a hello. I was grateful for the tutoring, but it was maddening seeing my friend this way. I hoped someday she could understand...
March, 1982, Milford, Ohio As I drove along I-65, I thought about what Stephanie had asked for and what Bethany had said without even knowing about the request. Of course, because Bethany and I were so in tune, she might have actually had an idea that I was struggling with getting involved with my sister again. I kept turning it over and over in my mind and I kept coming to the same conclusion — that I shouldn’t do it. I was torn between doing what Stephanie wanted and doing what Kara and...
September 7, 1992, Chicago, Illinois “That went reasonably well,” Michelle said when her parents drove off. “There were a few times I thought my expression would give away something I shouldn’t. You were messing with me, weren’t you?” She grabbed both my hands and smiled, “I was telling the truth, in my own way. Thank you!” She leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “So, what’s left?” I asked. “To visit UofC tomorrow and formally withdraw from classes. To spend some time with you and your...
October 1981, Chicago, Illinois I arrived back at the apartment just before 10:00pm and saw the address for the party. I decided I wasn’t particularly interested in going so I put on some music, poured myself a glass of wine, and started reading more about Russia. I was alternating between the history and culture book and the Communist Party book, decided on the history and culture book for this time. I didn’t get much reading done because I was thinking about Tatyana, which led me to...
January 23, 1996, Chicago, Illinois “Father, bless!” I said, greeting Father Basil with upturned palms. “Bless you, Stephen,” he said as I kissed his hand. The waiter showed us to a quiet table along the wall of Roditys in Greektown. He took our drink orders and was back quickly. We placed our food orders right away and he left to put them in with the kitchen. “I’m not quite sure how to address this, so I’m just going to ask you bluntly. Are you the father of Michelle’s baby?” I shook my...
June 29, 1995, Chicago, Illinois On Thursday, I finally had lunch with Melissa again, something I hadn’t been looking forward to. Much like with Cèlia, Melissa and I had passed an inflection point and I was left with sub-optimal paths forward. I’d been struggling with the possible solutions, and all of them had pitfalls. When I walked into Takumi, I had something of a plan. Whether it was good or not would only be known once everything played out. “I spoke to my wives,” I said after we’d...
Footprints In The Sea - Chapters 5 & 6 By Frances Penwiddy Copyright © Frances Penwiddy 2015 Footprints in the sea is a work of fiction and any similarity to persons living or dead is coincidental. This novel is not considered suitable material for minors and is rated X Shipwrecked on an island in the South Pacific region known as the Wilderness and more than one thousand miles from the nearest known habited land and located between New Zealand and South America,...
December 5, 2000, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota “I had a good time last night,” I said. “I was surprised you invited a friend!” Mary laughed as we walked into the exam room, “Naomi had a good time as well. You know what a Resident’s life is like.” I nodded, “No social life.” “Exactly. You guys seemed to hit it off pretty well.” “Yes, but I’m not here for that!” “You’re everywhere for that, and you know it!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s just say that you hit the sweet spot -...